I've been using a clothesline for years now but I need to replace the cotton line I've been using. I bought some "clothesline" at the local hardware store but find that it won't support my antique linen sheets. Those babies are really heavy when wet (and that's after having been spun in the front-loader Miele washer!!) Even with a couple of line spreaders, the line sags too far down. So I need a sturdier clothesline. Any suggestions or should I just go back to a heavy-duty cotton line like I had before?

Without seeing a picture or having a more detailed description, I can only guess that you've been blessed with the presence of Potter's wasps. They are predatory insects, capturing caterpillars, grubs, spiders, etc., paralyzing them with a sting, then stuffing them inside those little mud pots with a single wasp egg. The wasp larvae will have fresh caterpillar to feed on as it develops into a mature Potter's wasp. Take a look at the attached link. Let us know if the images hit the mark or not. If not, we'll need an improved description. Here is a link that might be useful: Is this what you have?

For hanging clothes outside while having a full time job, I found it easier to wash two-three loads in the evening and hang them early the next morning. On Friday night, while hubby and I watched TV, we washed the clothes and loaded the laundry baskets by flat-folding the wet clothes (don't toss them in in a jumble or they will have a lot of wrinkles), and keep like-kinds of things together. All my undies, all hubbies, all the kitchen towels, etc. They go on the line together and when I take them off the line they all get folded as I take them off and placed in the basket/s. The sorting has already been done so this doesn't take any time at all. Anything that normally gets hung on a hanger is also dried on a hanger, and they are placed on a hook on the back of the door. Sometimes they dry without taking them outside. Hubby built a folding bench and put a patio umbrella over the bench to keep the sun off while folding laundry. After washing the clothes the night before, I hang them the next morning (I normally get up at 3:30 a.m., so anytime after that they got put on the line) and they are dried before lunchtime (sometimes by 9 or 10 a.m.). Then I would do the same thing Saturday night and hang the clothes Sunday morning. Anything that normally hangs on a hanger is also dried on a hanger so they go from the line to the closet. The hangers are placed on the end of my outdoor umbrella clothes line in the loops of clothesline going through it, which keeps them from flying off and to free-up more space on the lines. But the best answer was to put lines up in the basement so now I can do laundry anytime - although we still do laundry in the evening while watching TV - it's a team effort at our house. Hubby and I do two loads of laundry on Tuesday night and hang it up, and take it down Wednesday morning after we work-out in the basement. And again on Saturday morning we do the sheets and bath towels, which dry in the basement by the afternoon. Saturday evening we do two more loads and hang them in the basement and take them down early Sunday morning. The clothes aren't getting sun-bleached all day long and beat to shreds in the wind. It's amazing how much longer our clothes are lasting and looking much better, since we quit hanging them outside three years ago. While still using the outdoor line, I also put two lines up in our garage - between the cars bays - so I could hang clothes there if the weather was ify, and put a large fan on them to aid drying. We have a pull-out accordion drying rack (see link below) in our laundry room. This is where I hang socks and bras to dry (just toss them over the bar), instead of messing with them outside (or in the basement). It's also where I hang wet dish rags/dish towels and wet washcloths/towels to dry after use so they dry completely before I toss them in the laundry basket. -Grainlady Here is a link that might be useful: Accordian Drying Rack

Leaned because it was not set deep enough nor with enough concrete. Pretty good idea about sliding another pipe inside. Dig a 2' deeper hole, wide enough for the existing concrete to fit with room to pour around it. Set the extended post in the hole, brace it to remain straight and plumb, pour concrete in(dry and water copiously) or mix and pour. Mound the concrete just above the ground so water runs off. Let sit for 24 hours, remove bracing and use.